Skate-shoe and foot-check



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.Y

JOI-IN B. GIBBS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SKATE-SHOE AND FOOT-CHECK.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 30,627, dated November 13, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J. B. GIBBS, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Skate-Shoe and Foot-Check, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specication, in which- Figure l, is a view of the skate shoe as worn. Fig. 2, a transverse section through the front part of the same.

Persons who indulge in the pastime of skating frequently find it inconvenient and exposing to fasten on their skates after arriving on the ice, and cannot do it so well as they could if comfortably seated in a house, but they have not been able to fasten on their skates at home and then walk to the ice, as the narrow skate runner is not suitable to walk on and the skates would be chilled and injured by coming in contact with the pavement or ground. To obviate these difliculties and to enable the skater to walk over the ground with his skates on is the object of my present invention which consists of a skate shoe having a groove for the reception of the skate runner and suitable means or attaching the skate shoe to the 'foot so that it and the skate which has been previously fastened to the foot may be kept in contact.

That others skilled in the art may understand and use my invention I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried out the same.

In the said drawings A represents the foot of the skater to which the skate B is attached by' straps a. The skate shoe consists of a sole b of wood on top of which is secured a block d, at the heel and another one f, at the front part of the foot; these blocks have cut through them a groove g which is also continue down a short distance into the sole Z2. Then the shoe is applied as in Fig. 1, the ruimer 7L of the skate rests in the groove g, a strap D, attached to the sole b, passes over the foot and is secured by a buckle i. This keeps the shoe in contact with the skate and as the skate has been previously secured to the foot, the wearer may walk over the ground without danger of injuring his skates. When he has arrived at the ice, by simply unbuckling the strap D, the shoe may be detached from the skate. The pointed screws c pass down through the skate shoe, and project a short distance below the sole b, to enable the wearer to walk safely on the ice, when not required for this purpose they may be turned back to bring their points above the surface of the sole and to prevent their being blunted. The comfort of such an arrangement will be readily appreciated by the skater, and many a one may be saved from taking cold by seating themselves on the ice to fasten on their skates as they now generally do.

I do not intend to limit myself to the eX- act construction shown and described, as this may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention neither do I conne myself to any particular material for the construction of the skate shoe, as they may be made of wood, metal, hard rubber or other suitable material.

That I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The grooved skate shoe constructed substantially as described for the purpose specified.

JOHN B. GIBBS.

Witnesses:

SAM. COOPER, P. E. TESCHEMACHER. 

